Water cooled vacuum tube



Dec. 26, 1933. R. M. HEINTZ WATER COOLED VACUUM TUBE Filed Jan. 26, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR, RALPH M. HE/NTZ.

ATTORNEY Dec. 26, 1933. R. M. HEINTZ WATER COOLED VACUUM TUBE Filed Jan. 26, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ill-llllllllllllllulllllllll l'l.

INVENTOR RALPH M. HE/NTZ.

ATTORNEY Pate'ntedDec.

mm ooouzn vacuum m Ralph M. mum, Palo an, cane, asslgnor to Helnhlb' Kaufman,

Ltd, San Francisco, Call!" a corporation of Nevada Application-January 28, 1931. Serial No. 511,279

other fluid cooling for the tubeeleinents; I v

Its broad purpose is to provide atub'e of the 5 water-cooled type wherein the stresses imposed upon the seals betweenthewater-cooled electrodes and the-evacuated envelope of the, tube, are reduced-to a reasonable value, thus avoiding undue breakage'of tubes.

"With this primary purpose in mind, other ob -jects of my invention are: To provide a watercooled electrode wherein theginlet and outlet;

passages are formed through a single tubular support; to provide an electrode structurewhere- 1 in the water circulation covers the entirefactive surface of the electrode, thus preventing the'formation of hot spots; to provide a means'of directs ing vthe'water circulation through theelectrode and electrode support which will not interfere with the securing of thezsupport to the electrode;- to provide a terminal fltting for, the electrode supports which will serve at once as the primary support for the tube, and vto protect the seals joining the supports with the tube body; and,

2 to provide a tube structure wherein the tube envelope is supported from the electrode, rather than the electrode from the envelope.

plate electrodes, each of which is provided with a single tubular supportwithin which are formed inlet and outlet passages for the cooling fluid. The supports are preferably arranged substantially co-axially, so as to project through the walls 85 of the evacuated envelope of the tube in opposite directions, and each is provided-with .a terminal fitting which serves both to make electrical contact and to suspend the tube when in use. These fittings preferably are formed with a bell or skirt 0 which encircles the seal between the envelope and the electrode support, so that they protect the seal from mechanical damage in addition to their function of holding the tube when in use.

Other objects of my invention-will be apparent 4 or will be specifically pointed out in the description forming a part of this specification, but I do not limit myself to the embodiment of my invention. herein described, as various forms may be adopted within the scope of the claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the tube embodyingmy invention, certain of the parts being shown in section more clearly to disclose the construction. Figure 2 is a detail view of the connecting scum. (cl. 250-215) My invention 'relates to mama. andparticularly to vacuum tubes supplying wateror.

fitting which conducts the cooling fluid into and out of the element support.

Figure'3 is a transverse sectional view of the tube, the plane of projection being on the line H'ofl igure 1. 60 Figure 4 is an elevation of one of the watercooled elements of the tube, the plane of projection being on the line 4-4 of Figure 3, so that the element support is shown in transverse section.

Describing the preferred form of my invention in greater detail, the water-cooled anode or plate elementfwhich forms the largest mass within the tube comprises a substantially flat rectangular front, plate '10 ,(Figure v3) having flanges or wings :11 bent forward therefrom, preferably at something less than a right angle from their original-plane. Brazed or welded to the back of the plate 10'is an H- shaped baflle which is preferably symmetrically located with reference to II the plate, the uprights of the l-l being parallel to the, longer axis of the plate.-

The back plate of the electrode comprises a flat portion 15, having a flange 16, of substantially the same height as the baflle 12, projecting forwardfromit and contacting with the front plate 7 V 10 to, form a completely enclosed boxlike struc- In general terms, my'inven'tion com'prises va vacuum tube having a-pair of opposed hollow j ture. A preferably circular orifice 17 is formed in the center of the back plate, the cross bar of the H -shaped baflle extending substantially diametrically across .theoriilce. Surrounding the orifice 17 is a. short collar 18, to which is secured a tapered nipple 20.

'A pair'of small angle irons 21 are welded to the back plate before the'electrode is assembled, these .angle irons being arranged to slip on either side of the uprights of the bail'ie.

The frontand back plates are preferably joined by brazing, the spelter flowing between the flange 16, the front plate 10 and between the angle irons 21 and the baiile 12, to form a substantially unitary structure.

Opposed to'the anode within the tube is a control plate which differs in structure from the anodeplate only in minor dimensions, and whose parts areidentiiled by similar reference characters distinguished by accents. The principal difference between the anode and control plates lies in the somewhat narrower flanges 11' with which the control plate is provided.

In constructing the tube the control and anode plates are mounted on a mandrel which is inserted within the glass blank from which the evacuated envelope 25 is to be formed, a small ring of copper is placed around the tapered nipple 20, and the tubular support 26, having a flared inner end 27 is inserted through the still open arm 28 which projects from the side of the blank and fitted over the nipple 20. A heater is then inserted within the tube 26, which melts the copper ring and brazes the nipple to the tube 26.

The outer end of the support tube 26 is surrounded by a thin walled copper tube 30, one end of which is brazed to the support tube. In order to afiord mechanical protection to the tube 30, a short length of tubing 31 having a flared outer end 32 is preferably slipped over it. The flared end serves to hold the silver solder which Joins the tubes 30 and 31 to the support tube 26, and thus facilitates fabrication.

Before inserting the support tube 26 within the envelope and joining it to the electrode, a glass bead 33 is sealed to the thin copper tube 31. After the joint between the support tube and the electrode is completed, the arm 28 is drawn down into contact with this bead and fused thereto, thereby completing the vseal which joins the electrode support and the envelope.

After the seal has been completed a threaded collar 35 is fitted over the end of the tube 26, and secured thereto either by the use of relatively low melting point solder, or by spinning out the end of the support tube into a chamfer 36 formed in the bore through the collar. The inner face of the collar is rabbeted to receive a skirt or bell 36 which covers the seal and protects it from mechanical damage. It also forms a grip by which the tube may be handled without touching the glass, and when the tube is in use forms both its electrical contact and its mechanical support.

A partition of thin sheet metal, whose width is substantially equal to the diameter of the tube 26, and which is long enough to project slightly both into the electrode and from the outer end of the support tube is next inserted. The inner end of this partition is positioned" by the cross bar of the baflle. partition 40 in a fitting 41, which is provided with a pair of hose nipples 42 with which the electrode may be connected to its supply of cooling fluid. The fitting 41 is secured to the collar 35 by means of a clamp ring 43. Leakage is prevented by a gasket 45.

This construction leaves the interior of the support tube clear until after the joint between the electrode and the tube is formed; it further permits the use of a partition which may be twisted to permit the inlet and outlet connections to be made to the tube at the most convenient angle. Furthermore, in making these hose connections, the tube may be grasped by the bell 37, and the connections made without stressing the seals.

After the anode and control plate structures are completed, the stem 46 carrying the filament lead 47 and the filament 48 is inserted, the upper filament support 50 is placed in position, and the tube is ready for evacuation. The details of the filament support here shown need not be described since they are not pertinent to the present invention, and are fully disclosed in my co-pending application, Serial No. 511,277 filed concurrently with this application.

The tube is preferably completed by cementing on a protecting cap 51 and base 52 which carries the contacts 53 for the filament.

The structure here disclosed permits the tube Its outer end fits into a slot formed in the 4 to be supported primarily from its control grid and anode terminals. The mass of the envelope, including the cap 51, base 52, and filament structure, is much less than that of the heavy watercooled electrodes, and thus by supporting the envelope from the electrodes, rather than by supporting the electrodes from the envelope, the duty upon the seals is greatly reduced. It will be understood that a flexible connection is used to the contacts 53 in order to permit of this distribution of stresses. The structure described has numerous advantages other than this advantage of mounting, which is not believed to be a part. of the present invention and, therefore, is not shown. The invention herein claimed lies in the interrelation of the parts as hereinbefore described.

I claim:

1. A vacuum tube electrode comprising a shallow box-like structure substantially fiat and rectangular in form having an orifice therein, a baflle within the structure extending across said orifice, a tube extending at right angles to said structure connecting with the interior of said body through said orifice, and a partition fitting within the tube and contacting said baflle to provide inlet and outlet passages for a. cooling fiuid within the tube.

2. A vacuum tube electrode comprising a shallow box-like structure substantially fiat and rectangular in form having a circular orifice therein, a bailie within the structure and extending across the orifice to provide a passage for cool ing fiuid extending throughout said body, a tube extending at right angles to said structure connecting with both ends of said passage through said orifice, and a partition fitting within the tube and contacting said bafile to provide inlet and outlet passages for a cooling fiuid within the tube.

3. In combination, a vacuum tube having a. cathode and a hollow electrode, a tubular support for said electrode extending through the wall of the vacuum tube, a partition fitting slidably within said tubular support and extending beyond the end thereof, and a fitting mounted to the end of said support and having a partition therein engageable with the projecting end of said first mentioned partition.

4. A vacuum tube electrode comprising a shallow box-like structure having an orifice in one side thereof, an H-shaped bathe positioned within the structure and bisecting said orifice, a tubular support for said electrode connecting with the interior of said body through said orifice, and a partition fitting within said tubular support and contacting said battle to provide inlet and outlet passages for a cooling fiuid within the tube.

5. A vacuumtube electrode comprising a shallow box-like structure substantially flat and rectangular inform, and having an orifice substantially in the center of one side thereof, an H-shaped bafile positioned within the structure with the crossbar bisecting said orifice, a tubular support for said electrode connecting with the interior of said body through said orifice, and a partition fitting within said tubular support and contacting said crossbar to provide inlet and outlet passages for a cooling fiuid within the tube.

RALPH M. HEINTZ. 

